


Azeroth High

by SkadiAgkis



Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Cliques, Drama, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Original Character(s), Overcoming Stereotypes, Slow Burn, crushes and relationships, enemies becoming friends
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2019-01-24
Packaged: 2019-09-22 11:47:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 18,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17059220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkadiAgkis/pseuds/SkadiAgkis
Summary: What started out as a thought experiment of what my rp characters would be like in high school developed into this multi chapter novella. A big shout-out to my friend for letting me borrow Emiryss, Velithar, Zenn, and Ami. So here it is, death knights, paladins, warlocks, a shaman, and a monk turned into human high school students with all the drama that comes with high school.





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

 

            “Hey guys, have you seen the new guy?” Velithar called to his friends as he weaved through the crowded lunchroom to the usual table. His lean form zipped nimbly amongst the students, narrowly dodging a leg set out to trip him before he plopped his tray down. The sophomore brushed the flop of copper hair out of his eyes, looking at his friends. Emiryss, a junior, was already at the table, and she brushed a lock of her green hair out of her face, tapping the table with an ebon nail.

            “What new guy?” she asked, raising a dark brow. Amphithere (a junior as well) was also at the table. The petite Asian girl shut her sketchbook, placing it aside before pulling out her lunchbox. “Well?” Emiryss was never patient.

            “Oh, there is a new guy, and he is dreamy,” Velithar replied. Emiryss rolled her eyes.

            Amphithere opened a bag of chips and said absently, “Oh, I heard there was a new guy. Alex said something about how he had to do the whole student ambassador thing today.” She glanced around. “Where’s Skadi?”

            At that moment, Skadi walked towards them. She was tall, over 5’6’’. With her pale skin and ice blue eyes lined with thick makeup in sharp contrast to her dark hair and brows and tendency to wear a black leather trench coat and black combat boots, she gave off a vibe that caused many of her peers to not mess with her. She set her tray down on the table and looked at Velithar. “Oooh boy, Vel has that look in his eye. Who is has he seen now?” she said with a grin at Velithar, who looked down, blushing slightly.

            “Some new guy,” Emiryss answered with a grin. Skadi chuckled, handing Velithar a chocolate chip muffin.

            Velithar began chowing down, but as he glanced up, he let out a choked squeak, “That’s him!” He pointed towards the cafeteria line. The table looked up and saw a boy wearing a football jersey standing next to the quarterback of the school’s football team. He was well muscled, obviously athletic, but not as big as some other football players. His hair was dark, but bleached at the tips and carefully styled. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he looked at everyone through arrogant, pale brown eyes. Most interestingly, he had a scar on his left cheekbone, and yet that feature only accentuated how handsome he was instead of taking away from his appearance.

            “Oh Vel…” Skadi said softly, patting her friend’s shoulder gently. “Why do you keep falling for jocks?”

            “Yeah,” Emiryss agreed with a scoff. “Remember what happened the last time you did? Skadi had to deck him.”

            Skadi gave a wide grin, leaning back, crossing her arms over her chest as she smirked. “Damn right, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

            Velithar gave a sad smile, and the four of them ate their lunch, making idle conversation. Skadi kept watching the new jock, sizing him up, wondering if she could kick his ass if the boy decided to hurt Velithar. The quarterback introduced him to his friends, and one of the cheerleaders swooped in on him, clinging to the boy’s arm. Skadi shook her head, grumbling, “Damned harpy.”

            “Hmm?” Emiryss asked.

            Skadi tilted her head towards the new kid. “Not even in the school more than a day or so and already the harpy has her in his claws.”

Emiryss laughed coldly, “Well, you do know that football players and cheerleaders go together.” Skadi made a face, before turning back to the rest of her friend’s conversation.

 

Anthelios tossed his books back in his backpack. He ran a hand through his gelled hair, sighing. It was his first day at his new school, and so far things had gone… alright. At least the football team was cool. And the cheerleader captain, Talani, seemed nice enough. Though he wasn’t sure he liked the way she threw himself at him. “Oh well, could be amusing later,” he thought with a slight grin.

            “Hey, Anthelios, how was lunch?” a voice called. Anth looked up to see Alexsandros, the boy assigned to be his guide for the day. He was a junior, like Anth, and also had an athletic build. His blond hair was a bit longer than most considered fashionable, and he had it tied back in short pony-tail. Alex grinned, his green-blue eyes dancing. “I know the lunch room is always a madhouse.”

            Anth shrugged. “It was fine. I ran into Darion and he introduced me to some more guys on the team.”

            “Oh, good.” The two walked in silence for a few minutes, Alex nodding to quite a few people he knew. And Alex seemed to know almost everyone. They paused for a moment as Alex waved to a petite, Asian girl, smiling at her.

            “Hey Amphithere, this is Anthelios. He’s new here. Anth, this is my girlfriend,” Alex said happily. Amphithere smiled at the newcomer, offering her hand. Anth shook hands with her, flashing a smile.

            “Nice to meet you,” he said. She seemed nice enough, though she definitely was into art – her locker and the smear of charcoal on her clothing showed that. Another girl shut the locker behind Amphithere, turning to affix a cold gaze on Anth. This girl was considerably taller than Amphithere, and was more than a little intimidating. Her long black hair, dark eyeliner, and dark clothes made her ice blue eyes even more striking. She nodded at Alex, giving him a small smile.

            “So, who’s your new friend?” she asked. Her voice was rich, and yet it had a fairly harsh undertone. Somehow, she made the word “friend” almost a curse.

            Alex chose to ignore her tone and answered, “Oh, Skadi, this is Anthelios. Anth, this is Skadi.” He affixed Skadi with a fairly steely gaze. “Anth just started today.”

            Skadi nodded. She looked Anth over, raising a brow, asking, “Football?”

            He nodded in response. “Yeah, hopefully I’ll make the team.” Skadi turned without a word, stalking away. Amphithere said something to Alex, following her friend.

            Anthelios let out a breath. He turned to Alex. “Who the hell is she, and what is her problem?”

            Alex sighed. “That’s Skadi. She… she’s not that bad, honestly. She’s just been through a lot.”

            He snorted. “Riiight. So, she hates everyone, then? Or is it just me?”

            The other boy shook his head. “She really has a dislike for football players.”

            “Why?” Anth asked, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back against the locker.

            “Ummm…” Alex looked down. Anth locked his gaze on his guide’s, narrowing his eyes slightly. The blond sighed, rubbing his forehead. “Alright, let’s just say that she’s been bullied. And one of her friends was tormented by a football player.” He grimaced. “She… may have punched him?”

            Anth’s eyes widened and he said softly, “Alright, I’ll make sure to give her a wide berth then. Her and her friends.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skadi gets stuck with Anthelios during a group project, and she's not amused.

Chapter 2

 

Skadi’s life had been uneventful. Just the usual: school, art club, spending time with her foster mother and friends. Besides Velithar’s crush, the arrival of the new jock hadn’t affected her in the slightest. And even that crush was fading, as both Skadi and Emiryss had made a point of reminding him that the crush was very likely one sided. Anthelios was just another jock, and when had jocks been decent people to kids like them? Though, in her interactions with him in a few classes, Anthelios didn’t seem too bad, for a jock. Then again, only time would tell.

            Anthelios sat in his history class as the teacher droned on about a group project they had to do. He only half paid attention, as his thoughts were on football practice instead. He continued zoning out until he heard the teacher’s voice call his name.   
           “Hmm?” he said, jolted from his daydreaming.

            “You’re with Skadi,” the teacher replied. Anthelios looked over to see the girl sitting in the corner. She sighed deeply, but stood up, walking over to take the empty seat next to him, her black leather trench coat billowing behind her.

            Skadi sat down, sighing, “So, it seems you’re with me. I hope you don’t expect me to do all the work on this project.”

            He met her icy blue gaze. “I wouldn’t do that.”

            She frowned, brow furrowed slightly as she considered him. “Alright then. We’re supposed to do a report on some famous person. You choose.”

            Anth considered for a moment, drumming his fingers on the desk. “Well, I remember I saw something on the History Channel ages ago about some warrior queen. Name started with a B I think.”

            Skadi’s dark brows raised as she looked at him, shocked. “Boudica? You’d like to do our project on her? She’s a bit obscure, but a total badass.” The girl grinned. “You sort of have to be to lead a rebellion in revenge of the murder of your daughters, one that ended with three Roman cities burned to the ground.”

            Anthelios blinked. “Sounds like you admire her,” he said softly.

            Skadi scoffed. “Of course I do. Like I said, she’s a badass.” She stood, gathering her things as the class was shuffled to the library to begin research. For several minutes, the two of them sat next to each other on the computer. Skadi sighed, “Well, I knew there wouldn’t be much here. But, there are some books at the public library. And, they have that History Channel documentary.”

            Anth grimaced, “So I guess we either go there, or change topics.” He looked over to see her affix him with an icy glare. “And I can tell you’re set on this subject so…” He shrugged. “I don’t have practice tonight, so we could go after school, if you have time.”

            Skadi blinked. “Oh? I’m amazed you’re willing to go yourself.”

            He glared at her, his eyes catching the light from the window, making them glow gold for a moment. “What, just because I happen to be a football player it means I can’t have a brain? And that I’m not able to do well in school?” He shook his head, taking a breath in order to keep his voice at a volume that wouldn’t attract ire from the librarian. “For the record, I was the one who suggested this topic.”

            She leaned back, eyes wide. “Alright, alright. Yeesh. No need to go on a rant,” she said, shaking her head. “I’ll meet you after school, and we’ll go to the library.” She grimaced. “I don’t have a car though. I could get Ami to give us a ride…”

            “No need.” He cut her off. “I have a car.”

            “Of course you do,” she grumbled. They didn’t speak for the rest of the class period, working in silence to find a few “reputable by their teacher’s standards” sources on the internet.

 

Skadi waited outside the high school, sitting on one of the benches. She was telling her friends about the assignment and complaining that she was stuck with Anthelios. “Well, he did have a point,” Velithar said slowly. Both Skadi and Emiryss glared at him. “It’s true!” the sophomore continued. “You admitted that he chose the subject, and you agreed.” He ran his hands through his hair, grimacing as both of his friends continued to glare. “You’re the one who got all snarky with him.”

            Skadi sighed. “I suppose,” she grumbled. “And he did show that he has a brain, unlike most jocks.”

            A car pulled up, a fairly mundane grey Honda. The window rolled down, and Anth called out, “So, we doing this or what?” Skadi sighed deeply, waving farewell to her friends and opened the passenger side door. The car was what she suspected, a bit of a mess, but she’d seen worse.

            “Hope you don’t mind music,” Anthelios said, reaching down and pressing play on the iPod plugged into the stereo system. Skadi braced herself for some ridiculous pop noise, but… She heard the familiar swell of orchestral music turn into guitar and drums of Within Temptation’s “Jillian”. She glanced over, shocked.

            Anth looked over at her, giving a wry smile. “Something wrong?” he asked.

            She nodded her head to the music. “Not gonna lie, I wasn’t expecting you to listen to Within Temptation. I thought I’d have to listen to some kind of pop trash.”

            The boy next to her chuckled, “Oh, I listen to that too, but I will admit, I prefer this to the other stuff.”

            Skadi listened to the music for a while, before saying softly, “If you like Within Temptation, try Nightwish. They’re my favorite band.”

            Anth nodded, smiling, the light catching his eyes again, causing them to glow gold. “I’ll look them up.” As he drove, he saw Skadi watching him, her cool gaze intense. He gave a mental shrug, and pulled into the public library’s parking lot. “Well, here we go,” he said as he put his car into park. Skadi nodded, and together they walked into the library to do research for their project.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anth needs help with chemistry, and his tutor ends up being someone he didn't expect.

Chapter 3

 

Fortunately, the history project turned out well. Skadi was surprised that Anthelios did indeed pull his weight. Even more surprisingly, he seemed to actually be interested in the subject matter. Every now and then, he’d say or do something that had her thinking, “Hmmm maybe he’s not so bad after all.” She almost enjoyed their after school project sessions. She introduced him to several of the symphonic metal bands she enjoyed, and he found he enjoyed the music. Soon several of his teammates found a few new bands they had never heard of when they were pawing through his iPod.

            In his time working with Skadi on the project, Anth discovered that she wasn’t quite as scary as she looked. The girl was very intelligent, and he enjoyed the banter between the two of them. He also got to know her friends, in passing at least. Emiryss was like Skadi – tall, dark, and with a chip on her shoulder. Amphithere was the most “normal” out of all of them, but she had a tendency to be lost in her own world half the time. Velithar was a year below the rest of them, and as such, Anth noticed that the girls considered him a younger sibling of sorts. Anth was incredibly amused to discover that Velithar had a crush on him. Of course, the football player never said anything about it, and while the kid was cute, he wasn’t Anth’s type.

            Things carried on like this for a few weeks, with Skadi and Anthelios only interacting in the classes they had together, as well as the occasional nod as they passed in the hallway. However, chemistry proved to be Anth’s undoing. Always an at least average student, Anth saw with horror that he failed his first chemistry test. His parents were not pleased, and they gave him an ultimatum – bring his grade up to passing, or they wouldn’t let him play football. The next day, Anthelios cornered Alexsandros in the hallway, hoping the other boy knew someone who could help.

            “Hey, Alex!” Anth called. “Do you have a minute?”

            Alex shoved a few books in his locker before answering the football player. “Yeah man, what’s up?”

            Anth shoved his hands in his pockets, looking down. “I need help,” he said, jaw clenched. “I’m failing chemistry, and if I don’t get my grade up, my parents’ll take me off the team.”

            “Ooh boy,” Alex said, wincing with sympathy. “Alas, chemistry isn’t my thing. But, Amp’ll know someone. She’s a member of the biology club, so she knows more science people than I do. I’ll see if she can hook you up with a chem tutor.”

            Anth smiled, clapping a hand on Alex’s shoulder. “Thanks man,” he said gratefully.

            Alex flashed a smile. “Not a problem, my friend. I’ll text you if she recommends someone. If not, well you may have to ask your teacher.” Anth nodded with a grimace.

            Anth went through the rest of the school day distracted, worried as he was about failing chemistry and being taken off the team. His phone buzzed a few minutes before his last class got out, and he surreptitiously glanced at it under his desk. It was Alex – “Found someone. Meet me by the gym before practice. Please don’t kill me” Anth frowned, completely puzzled by the last part of that message. He shrugged, sliding his phone back into his pocket. The bell rang, and he threw his notebook in his backpack, dashing to his locker to grab a few things before meeting Alex.

            As soon as he approached the gym, he saw a familiar figure, and he knew why Alex had sent the last part of that text. Skadi leaned against the wall, arms crossed over her chest, but somehow she seemed less scary than usual. Anthelios gave a half smile as he realized why – for once she wasn’t wearing her billowing trench coat, her eyeliner wasn’t as thick as usual, and she had her hair tied back out of her face. She was talking to Alex, grinning slightly, but as she heard Anth approach, she turned to look at him. “Alex tells me you need a chemistry tutor,” she drawled. “You must be truly desperate to come to me for help.”

            Anth tossed his backpack on the ground next to him and mimicked her body language, crossing his own arms over his chest and raising a brow. “Yep. I am desperate. If I can’t get my chemistry grade up, my parents are going to take me off the team,” he confessed.

            Skadi scoffed, “What a travesty.” She sighed and pulled out a scrap of paper and a pencil. The girl scrawled something on it and handed it to Anth. “Here’s my number. Text me when you can find a time for tutoring that fits with your oh so busy football schedule. And I’ll need to see your last chem test so I can see how much work I have ahead of me.”

            He took the paper, his hand brushing hers. She flinched slightly at the touch, but her ice blue eyes narrowed, as if daring him to comment. Anthelios sighed and reached down to pull the failed chemistry test out of his backpack. “Here,” he said softly. “I… I suck at chemistry. Thanks for offering to help. I just hope you can.”

            She glanced at the test, eyes wide. “Ooh boy. Well,” she gave a fierce grin. “I have always said I like a challenge.” She reached out and lightly punched his shoulder. “Don’t worry, football boy. I’ll make it so you can at least pass.”

            Anth sighed audibly. “Good. I gotta go. Practice.” He shouldered his backpack and dashed off, unable to help the sense of impending doom.

 

That evening, Skadi, Emiryss, and Velithar were all sitting around the table at Skadi’s place. Homework was spread across the table as the three teens worked on their assignments for the evening. Skadi’s place was one of their favorite hangouts, mostly because Skadi’s foster mom Ami left them to their own devices, and she often baked while they were there. In the middle of working on several math problems, Skadi’s cell phone chirped. “Who’s texting you?” Emiryss asked. “Amp’s out with her boyfriend, so she’s incommunicado, and we’re all right here.”

            Skadi looked at her phone. “Oh, it’s Anthelios.”

            “Anthelios?” Emiryss barked. “Why the hell does he have your number?”

            Velithar’s brow furrowed. “Wait a minute… how come YOU can talk to him? You two have spent a lot of time making sure that I avoid him, and here you are, texting him?” His eyes narrowed as he glared at the girls.

            Skadi sighed deeply. “We made sure you avoided him so you don’t get hurt. Do I have to remind you how your last crush on a jock turned out?” Velithar sighed, shoulders slumping. Skadi reached over and patted his shoulder before continuing, “I have his number because I’m going to be tutoring him in chemistry. It’s easier to coordinate when and where if he can text me. I have no idea what his football schedule is like.”

            Emiryss frowned, growling, “Why do you have to tutor him?”

            Skadi raised a brow before answering. “Well, you know how I have to get a few more tutoring hours for that scholarship program?” Velithar nodded, and Emiryss leaned back in her chair, arms over her chest. “Alex came to me, asking if I could tutor Anth, and I figured I might as well. I’d like to get the hours over with sooner rather than later, one less thing to worry about.” She took out her phone and responded. “Oh, apparently he’s free Saturday. Guess I just have to figure out where.”

            At that point, Ami breezed into the room, carrying a tray of freshly baked cookies. “Who’s free Saturday?” she asked, giving a grin.

            “Oh, just a guy Skadi said she is going to tutor,” Emiryss answered.

            “A guy?” Ami’s grin widened and she sat down across from her foster daughter. “Ooh is he cute?”

            Velithar grinned and answered, despite Skadi’s glare, “Oh he’s dreamy… Tall, strong, beautiful eyes, and a dashing scar on his cheek.”

            Ami chuckled. “So, when do I get to meet him?”

            Skadi’s phone chirped again, and she looked at it, grimacing. “This Saturday. Apparently he wants to know if I can come over to his place for our first tutoring session.” She frowned. “His mom wants to meet me? I have no clue why…”

            Ami waggled her eyebrows suggestively. “Well, then you have to go meet his mother!” Emiryss scoffed, and Skadi shot her foster mom an icy glare. Ami tilted her head, still grinning, enjoying Skadi’s discomfort. “But he’ll have to provide transport. I have a business meeting.”

            Skadi nodded. “Alright. I’ll let him know.” Her fingers flew over her phone again as she responded. “He says that’s fine and he’ll be here around 1 Saturday.”

            Ami nodded. “Well poop, I won’t get to meet him. I’ll be gone by then.” She patted her foster daughter’s shoulder. “Another time I suppose.” The older woman gave another wicked grin before sweeping out of the room, leaving the three teens to their cookies and homework.

 

Friday afternoon Anthelios caught Skadi at her locker. “So, I kinda need your address if I’m going to pick you up Saturday,” he said softly.

            “Oh, of course!” she exclaimed, swiftly pulling out a pencil and a scrap of paper, scrawling the address down. “Here you go.”

            The football player pocketed it. Instead of leaving like Skadi expected, he lingered for a few moments, his arms crossed over his chest, brow furrowed slightly. “Ummm, I figure you should know, my mom’s a bit religious,” he said awkwardly.

            Skadi raised a brow. “So?”

            Anth looked down, shuffling his feet. “So… is it possible for you to look a little less… gothy?”

            Skadi’s eyes narrowed to cold slits. “Why does it matter what I wear? I’m not meeting your mother as a girlfriend or some shit like that. I’m going over to teach you fucking chemistry. Thus, it shouldn’t matter at all what I wear.”

            Anth backed up, holding up his hands. “Sorry, just didn’t want you getting a lecture from her.”

            Skadi approached, tilting her head up a few inches to stare directly into his eyes. Her fists were clenched and she hissed, “It’s taken me a while to finally be comfortable with who I am. And I am NOT changing that for anyone.”

            Anth stepped back, looking down, ashamed. “I don’t blame you. I’m sorry. See you Saturday.” He swiftly turned around, walking away. Skadi let out a shaky breath, closing her eyes, pushing the rage down.

 

Anthelios pulled up outside Skadi’s house to see her already waiting outside. She had her backpack at her side, and was wearing her usual trench coat, buttoned against the cool breeze, though he noticed that the eyeliner and mascara were significantly lighter than usual and she was wearing sneakers instead of her usual combat boots. He pulled up, and she opened the door, climbing inside. Skadi sat down, buckling her seat belt, glancing over at him with a slight smile as she recognized the music he had playing. “Nightwish?” she asked.

            Anth nodded, smiling back at her. “Yeah. I looked them up, and I like them, a lot.”  They sat in silence, listening to the music as Anthelios drove. His house was on the outskirts of town, several miles in the country. It wasn’t as big as some of the others close by, but it was definitely a home that belonged to people with money. Skadi shrank back into the seat as he pulled into the driveway, feeling very out of place. As she looked out the window, she saw a paddock with two horses. Skadi straightened in her seat, looking at the animals.

            “Are those your horses?” she asked, face almost pressed against the window.

            Anth looked over and smiled, putting the car in park. “Yeah. Come on, I’ll introduce you.” He led her over to the paddock. The horses whickered, obviously familiar with him. One of them, a black and white paint, stretched out her neck, letting the boy stroke her forehead. The other, a blue roan with a dark mane, tail, stockings, and face approached Skadi, sniffing her outstretched hand curiously. “This is my mom’s horse, Shadowmoon,” Anth said, petting the paint. “The other is mine. His name is Tempest.”

            Skadi smiled as the horse’s soft muzzle tickled her palm. “He’s beautiful,” she said softly. “I’ve always wanted to learn to ride. But my… my family couldn’t. And Ami can’t afford lessons for me.”

            Anthelios reached over, stroking Tempest’s neck. “Well, I’m sure that could be arranged,” he said with a grin.

            Skadi looked at him, a curious look in her eyes. She shrugged, saying, “We should start on chemistry. That’s what I’m here for, right?”

            Anthelios nodded, giving the horses one last pat before leading Skadi to the front door. He opened the door, calling, “Mom? I’m here with Skadi, my chemistry tutor.”

            A woman appeared, one who very clearly shared a resemblance to her son. Her hair was the same dark color, and her eyes were also a light brown, though she had a willowy build. When she saw Skadi, her eyes widened, but she plastered a smile on her face, “Oh, hello. I’m Anya. Let me take your coat.”

            Skadi removed her trench coat, revealing a long-sleeved blue t-shirt with realistic wolves printed on it. She smiled, holding out her hand. “I’m Skadi. It’s nice to meet you.”

            Anya shook Skadi’s hand, still looking a bit intimidated. “So, you can help my son with chemistry? Pardon me for saying so, but…”

            Skadi raised a brow, and interrupted her. “What, I don’t look the type? I guess you were expecting someone who looked nerdier.” Anth clenched his jaw, praying that Skadi’s infamous temper wouldn’t rise. The girl sighed. “I’m in AP chemistry, and my teacher says I have a knack for it.” She opened her bag and held out a piece of paper, a note from both her teacher and Anth’s. “Hopefully this will put any doubts to rest.”

            Anya read the note and nodded. “Well, follow me. I’ll make sure you’re set up and then leave you to it.” She led them into the dining room. Skadi pulled out her chemistry book and notes, a notebook and pens, and Anth’s failed chemistry test. As she did so, she saw Anth’s mother speak softly to him, a concerned expression on the woman’s face. Anth’s jaw tightened and he frowned, muttering something before turning away. Anya forced a smile and said, “Anthelios will be right back, he’s getting his notes and textbook. Do you need anything?”

            Skadi forced herself to remain civil when she answered, “I’ve got everything I need, thank you.”

            Anthelios returned a minute or two later with his chemistry things. He looked down, not meeting Skadi’s eyes. “I’m sorry, about her.”

            Skadi shrugged. “I’m used to it.” She let out a breath, and pulled out the test, setting it in front of her. “Alright, let’s get started…”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skadi and Anth develop an unlikely friendship

Chapter 4

 

The study session at Anth’s house was the first of many. He met with Skadi at least once a week, and slowly but surely he found that chemistry was beginning to make sense. Even more surprisingly, Skadi and Anth found that they didn’t mind talking to each other. Skadi kept telling her friends, “For a jock, he’s not that bad.” The two of them kept bumping into each other, and when they did, there wasn’t open hostility. Emiryss continued to regard Anthelios with skepticism, but Velithar, Amphithere, and Alexsandros accepted the budding friendship between Skadi and the football player.

            Skadi joined Emiryss at their customary lunch table. The other girl saw Anthelios in line and drawled, “What, you’re here without your pet jock?”

            Her friend raised dark brows. “Pet jock? God Emiryss, he’s not a pet.”

            “Then why do you keep him around and want to have anything to do with him?” Emiryss asked.

            Skadi glared, at her. “What is your problem with him? Just because he’s on the football team it doesn’t mean he’s a bad person.”

            Emiryss sighed, reaching out and placing a hand on Skadi’s. Her friend’s eyes widened, as Emiryss very rarely liked physical contact. “Skadi, remember the last time _you_ fell for a jock?” she said, her voice soft. Skadi sighed deeply, looking down and nodding. Emiryss squeezed her hand, smiling at her friend. “This one may be ok, but I think it’s best that at least one of us remains skeptical. They’re all alike you know. Jackasses, the lot of them.”

            Suddenly, a commotion in the lunch line drew their attention. A member of the football team, the linebacker Skadi decked months ago, was harassing Velithar. As the two girls stood, eyes blazing, preparing to go to the aid of their friend, someone else acted. Anthelios stepped out of his place in line, going to the other boy. While the girls couldn’t hear what he was saying, they could tell by his facial expression that he was livid. He shoved the other boy away, and placed a hand on Velithar’s shoulder, giving a challenging glare to anyone who might consider saying a word. Anth escorted Velithar to his table, saying, “If he gives you any more trouble, let me know.” He glanced over at the girls and gave a surprisingly wicked smile. “I’ll hold him down so your friends can rip him a new one.” Emiryss and Skadi shared a shocked glance and Velithar looked down, blushing slightly as he tried to hide a smile. Anthelios gave a jaunty wave and headed back to the lunch line.

 

The day of the first home game, Anth caught Skadi at her locker before he headed to practice. “So, you going to go to the game tonight?” he asked.

            “Why?” she answered, tilting her head in confusion. “If I say I’m not, will it upset you?”

            He snorted. “Why would it? I was just curious. It’s going to be the social event of the week you know,” he said, voice teasing.

            “Well, then I should most certainly avoid it,” she drawled. “But, alas, I must disappoint you. I’ll be there. Vel and I always go to the first home game.” She laughed at his surprised expression. “For the marching band. Our friend Amphithere, Alex’s girlfriend, is in the band, and we go to support her.”

            Anth smiled. “Fair enough. Perhaps I’ll see you there?”

            Skadi scoffed. “Me, hang out by you jocks? Fat chance of that.”

            He chuckled as she walked away. One of his teammates walked over soon after she departed. “What are you doing with that crazy chick?” he asked, frowning. “She’s the loon who broke Harry’s nose.”

            Anth couldn’t help the glare. “She’s my chemistry tutor. That’s all. And as for Harry, something tells me he deserved it,” he growled, remembering Harry’s actions towards Velithar at the lunch line.

            “Why, cause he said something to that fag?” the other boy asked.

            “What did you say?” Anth snarled, fists clenched. “You shove off. There’s nothing wrong with the kid.” He stepped closer, seeming to tower over his teammate despite them being about the same height. “If I hear ANY of you saying a single homophobic remark in my hearing again, I’ll tell Coach, and THEN I’ll give you to Skadi and her friends.” The other football player blanched in shock, and quickly ran off.

 

 That night, Skadi and Velithar sat on the bleachers in their usual spot – near the band so they could attempt to make faces at Amphithere while the band played. Normally, they ignored the game entirely, but this time both of them knew someone on the team. Velithar ogled Anthelios every time he was on the field. If Emiryss had been there, he knew that his friend would have been nagging him nonstop, but Skadi knew the difference between harmless ogling and a real crush. “I’m over him you know,” he said suddenly.

            “Hmm?” Skadi looked over at her friend, puzzled.

            “I’m over Anth,” Velithar explained. “I mean, he’s nice enough, but he doesn’t like me as anything more than a friend.” He gave a wry smile. “If he even sees me as that.”

            Skadi looked at Velithar, frowning slightly. “I think that see you as a friend,” she said. “I saw what he did today in the cafeteria.” She gave a feral smile. “He beat Em and I to him.”

            Velithar ducked his head, chuckling slightly. “I think it’s a good thing he did. Ami would be pissed if you’d punched someone again and ended up suspended.”

            Skadi shuddered at the thought of Ami’s wrath. “Yeah, now that you mention it, good thing Anth was there.” The two of them talked absently as the game went on.

            Shortly before halftime, as the offense left the field, Velithar poked Skadi. “Hey, is that Anth?” She looked down to see a football player at the edge of the field. The boy waved, removing his helmet to reveal Anthelios, his hair mussy and covered in sweat. Anth vaulted the railing between the field and bleachers.

            “Well, color me impressed,” he said, grinning widely. “You two did show up. I thought you were joking, Skadi. Hey Vel."

            Velithar grinned, blushing slightly at being addressed by the handsome boy. Skadi merely lifted a brow, a slightly stupid grin on her face. “What are you doing?” she asked. “Shouldn’t you be with your teammates?”

            Anth chuckled. “Defense has the field. I have a minute, so I thought I’d say hi.”

            Skadi shook her head. “Well, you did. Go back to your team before the coach chews your ass.”

            The football player laughed at that. He smiled at both of them, saying, “Thanks for coming. Even though I know it was for the band, thanks anyway. It’s nice to have a few friends in the stands.” He swiftly leaped back over the railing, grabbing his helmet and trotting back to the rest of the huddle.

            Velithar looked at Skadi. “I think he likes you,” he said, a hint of jealousy in his voice.

            Skadi scoffed. “Nah. We’re just friends. Nothing more.” Velithar shrugged, but let the matter drop.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skadi has a run in with Anth's girlfriend and Velithar meets someone new

Chapter 5

 

Skadi headed towards Anth’s locker, hoping to catch him for once, since he always ran into her. She saw him, leaning against the wall, a grin on his face. But, he was smiling at Talani, the most offensive of the cheerleaders. Skadi flinched, frowning at how the sight of Talani kissing Anthelios upset her. She shook her head and clenched her fists, turning to walk away. As she prepared to storm off, she heard Anth call out, “Hey, Skadi!”

            “Yes?” she responded, voice cold.

            He frowned, as if puzzled by her tone, but he walked over to her, Talani at his side. “Are we still on for meeting after school tomorrow? I have a chemistry test coming up, and I was hoping you could help me study?”

            Skadi nodded. “Sure. Library?”

            “Yeah, thanks.” Anth smiled at her, causing Talani to frown. She shot Skadi a glare, one the taller girl returned. Anth looked between the two of them, brow furrowed.

            The next day, Skadi was waiting for him in the library. Anth was late, he was never late… She tapped her fingers on the chemistry textbook, glowering. Finally, the football player showed up. “Delightful, the harpy is with him,” Skadi murmured. Sure enough. Talani was there, clinging to his arm possessively. Anthelios paused at the door, giving his girlfriend a kiss before telling her that he’d see her later that night.

            Skadi growled, “About time you showed up. I thought you were going to skip on me. And if you had, well…” She trailed off and gave a frosty smile.

            Anth rubbed the back of his head, looking embarrassed. “Sorry, I got… side tracked.”

            Skadi scoffed, tossing him chemistry textbook. “Well, now that you aren’t sidetracked, we should probably make sure you pass your test so you don’t get kicked off your precious team. I’m sure your girlfriend wouldn’t like you as much if you weren’t on that team.”

            Anth frowned. “What do you mean?”

            Skadi shook her head. “She’s slept with at least half the team by now,” she said softly. “I think she’s targeted you next.”

            Anth narrowed his eyes at her, and snarled, “What if I wanted her to?”

            Skadi’s fists clenched, but she took a breath and closed her eyes, thinking to herself, “Ice. I am a still pool of ice.” Her eyes flickered open, and she said calmly, “So, chemistry. What are you worried about the most? And don’t say the whole unit.”

 

Skadi was somewhat broody for a few days after her encounter with Anthelios and Talani, but despite their best intentions, her friends were unable to get to the root cause of it. Fortunately, the universe ended up providing a distraction. Skadi was sitting at the lunch table, pointedly trying to avoid looking at Anthelios and his cheerleader girlfriend when Velithar came zipping across the cafeteria. “Hey guys, have you seen the new guy?” he asked, eyes bright.

            Emiryss held her head in her hands and groaned, “Oh god… not again.”

            Amphithere and Skadi shared a smile. “Who is it now?” Skadi asked, grinning broadly, handing Velithar a muffin.

            The boy blushed. “Well, he’s a sophomore, like me. And I’m not sure I heard it right, but I think his name is Zenn? But he’s cute! His hair is blond and spiky, and he has the biggest smile…” Velithar’s gaze goes a bit dreamy. “He smiled at me… Like, he actually SAW me. And he seems really nice. He’s in a couple of my classes.”

            Skadi patted Velithar on the shoulder. “Well, least he seems nice,” she said, smiling at her younger friend.

            Emiryss rolled her eyes. “Is he a jock? God I hope not.”

            Skadi shot Emiryss a glare. “And so what if he is?” she snapped. “They aren’t ALL bad!”

            “Yeah,” Amphithere chimed in, getting in the middle for once. “Alex plays soccer, and you don’t hate him.”

            Emiryss sneered, “But he also does drama and shit.”

            Velithar looked down, breaking apart his muffin, just toying with it. Skadi saw and snapped, “Emiryss, enough!” She pointedly looked at Velithar.

            Emiryss sighed, and said softly, “Sorry. I just don’t want you to get hurt. Kids here are merciless.” She stalked off, taking her tray to away.

            Velithar looked up at Skadi. “Sorry…” he said, voice soft. “I didn’t mean to start anything.”

            Skadi gave her friend a one-armed hug. “You didn’t. She’s just got a bug up her butt. Don’t worry about it.” She smiled. “I hope he’s as nice as you hope.” She grinned. “Is your gaydar pinging?”

            Velithar sighed, “You know my gaydar is shit…”

            Amphithere snickered. “I’ll ask Alex what he thinks of the new guy. His gaydar seems to work ok.” She gave the boy a genuine smile. “And you know Alex is a pretty good judge of character.”

 

One afternoon, Skadi was doing some dishes when she got a text from Velithar. She dried her hands off on her shirt and looked at her phone – “Hey can we talk?” Skadi’s eyes widened and she quickly responded: “Yeah. Where are you? You ok?” She washed dishes like a madwoman, trying to get them done as soon as possible. Like her, Velithar had… stuff, and that kind of message from him set off major alarm bells. Within a minute, her phone chirped again: “At the park”. Skadi swiftly placed the last dish in the drying rack and texted back: “KK, omw.” She threw on her sneakers and grabbed her coat, calling to Ami, “Hey, I need to go to the park. Vel needs to talk.”

            Ami looked up from what she was reading, “Oh. Is he ok?”

            Skadi said uncertainly, “I’m not entirely sure…”

            Ami stood up, “I’ll drive you. Grab him a muffin.” Skadi smiled at her foster mom, who grabbed her keys and purse. Ami drove Skadi to the park, and said, “If you need me, feel free to give me a text or call. Give the kiddo a hug from me.”

            Skadi smiled. “I will.” She dashed off, looking for Velithar. She found him where she thought she would, on the swings. He was sort of swinging, looking at his feet. His hair flopped into his face, and his body language showed total dejection. Skadi called softly, “Hey Vel. Ami sent me with a muffin.” He looked up, giving a shaky smile. She could see that the eyeliner he often wore was smeared, as if he’d been crying. She handed him the muffin, but her jaw clenched as she growled softly, “Who do I need to beat up?”

            Velithar gave a slight chuckle and wiped his eyes, taking the muffin. “No one, yet. I don’t think?” He sighed as Skadi sat down on the swing next to him. “I think I’m in trouble.”

            Skadi frowned. “What kind of trouble?”

            “You know the new kid I mentioned, Zenn? Well…” He took a breath, steadying himself before continuing. “I like him. Like, _like like_ him.”

            Skadi sighed, looking over at him, fixing him with a cool, blue gaze. “And that’s a problem because…?”

            Her friend snorted. “It’s a problem because I’m a gay disaster!” he exclaimed. “Every time I’ve fallen for someone, it’s ended in a nightmare. I… I’m not… why would he like me back?”

            Skadi reached out, grabbing his swing and twisting the chain so he faced her. “Because you’re a good guy? You’re sweet, funny when you want to be, and overall a good person. Better than me some days.”  
            He blushed slightly. “But… I’m a mess. You know that…”

            She scoffed. “So? I’m a mess too, but I hang out with you.” She peered at him. “So Vel, what changed? This isn’t like the crush you’ve had on Alex or Anth or any of the other guys I’ve seen. What is it about this Zenn guy that’s got you head over heels?”

            Velithar sighed deeply. “Idunno. He’s just… There’s something about him. I’m not sure.”

            Skadi stepped off the swing and gently placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Walk with me. Tell me what happened. It has to be something big.”

            Velithar nodded, letting Skadi half lead him to one of the paths in the park. As the two walked, Skadi waited patiently, and Velithar began to tell what happened earlier that day. “I was at my locker when my favorite bully showed up. He was being a jackass, saying all sorts of nasty things. I was trying to ignore him, but you know it’s hard…” Skadi patted his shoulder gently, encouraging him to continue. “Well, suddenly, Zenn showed up. He gave this goofy smile and told the guy to leave me be. He said…” Velithar’s eyes went distant and he recalled what Zenn said. “He said, ‘Hey, why are you being so mean? We’re all just trying to get by, right? Why make anyone else’s battle harder on them?’ I was… I was just shocked. Like, this guy I don’t even know, who I’ve just seen around in a couple of classes just called out this giant linebacker in public!” Velithar gave a slight smile. “And Zenn’s not much bigger than me, and he’s nowhere near as scary as you or Em.”

            Skadi couldn’t help a smile at that. “Ok, I like this guy so far. You’ll have to introduce me.”

            Velithar wrapped his arms around himself and continued. “That’s not all… The jock totally blew him off, and Zenn said, ‘Hey, I was talking to you! Leave him alone.’ And when he didn’t…” Velithar’s eyes were wide and he said softly, as if he still couldn’t believe it, “Suddenly, Zenn’s arm shot out and his fist landed less than an inch away from Harry’s face!”

            Skadi’s eyes widened. “What?”

            “Yeah! It was like some freaky cool martial arts shit!” Velithar grinned. “I think Harry about peed himself. It was almost as good as when you broke his nose!”

            The girl gave a savage grin. “Yeah, I gotta meet this Zenn guy.” She glanced over at the boy. “So, after that?”

            Velithar shrugged. “After that, we just talked. He’s really easy to talk to. And his way of thinking is just… different. And even weirder, he seems to like me? At least, as a friend. But I’m not sure…” The boy blushed. “He’s a bit more touchy-feely than any of you all, so I’m not sure if I’m reading into things…”

            “Touchy-feely?” Skadi raised a curious brow at that.

            Velithar’s blush deepened. “Oh, well, when we talked, he put an arm around my shoulders that sort of thing.”

            Skadi’s eyes widened, and she looked down, not sure what to say. They two of them walked in companionable silence for a while, before they came to one of the park’s football fields. At that field, they saw several people throwing Frisbees about. Velithar tensed, and he pointed down to one of the figures, saying softly, “That’s Zenn.” Skadi looked down at the boy who had stolen her friend’s heart. He had a lithe, runner’s build, and it was obvious that he was athletic, what with the ease he was tossing and catching the Frisbee. His hair was dirty blonde and all spiked up with some sort of styling gel. The boy had a broad grin on his face, and even Skadi had to admit that there was something about him that just seemed… good, for lack of a better word.

            A Frisbee soared over his head, heading straight towards Skadi. She casually reached out, catching it. Zenn trotted over, a grin plastered on his face. “Oh, thanks!” he called out, seemingly unphased by the girl who stood several inches taller than him. Zenn’s hazel eyes brightened when he saw who was standing beside her. “Oh! Hey, Veli!” he called out, going over to give Velithar a quick hug.       

            Velithar blushed furiously, but couldn’t help the grin that appeared. Skadi smirked, handing Velithar the Frisbee. Zenn looked over at Skadi and held out a hand. “Hello, I’m Zenn. You’re a friend of Velithar’s?”

            Skadi shook his hand, nodding. “Yeah, I’m Skadi. One of his best friends.” The girl gave a smile, and Velithar was shocked to notice that it seemed genuine.

            Zenn’s grin widened, “Nice to meet ya! Any friend of Veli’s is a friend of mine!”

            Skadi whispered to Velithar, “Veli? Last time I tried to use that particular nickname for you, you didn’t talk to me for a week.”

            He gave her a glare, shrugging. Skadi patted her friend on the shoulder and asked Zenn, “So, looks like you have some kind of game going on? Mind if I ask what it is?”

            Zenn tilted his head to the side, and replied, “Oh! It’s Ultimate Frisbee! You wanna join?”

            Skadi shook her head. “I’ve heard of it, but it’s not my thing. Thanks though.”

            The spiky-haired boy looked at Velithar, giving him a blinding smile, “You wanna join, Veli?”

            Velithar’s eyes widened. “Ummm…” He looked over at Skadi, uncertainty in his eyes.

            Skadi leaned down to say softly, “You should. He seems nice. If you want, I’ll loiter here for a few minutes, just in case.”

            Velithar nodded to her, before turning to Zenn, giving a shaky smile. “I… I’ll try. I’m not very good at sports though…”

            Zenn put his arms around Velithar’s shoulders, still smiling, “That’s ok! We’ll have fun.” Skadi watched as Velithar joined the Frisbee game, a smile of her own growing as she saw Velithar relax as he hung out with Zenn. For someone who claimed to suck at sports, he did fairly well, and she noticed that every time Velithar did mess up, Zenn was there encouraging him. As she watched them interact, her smile grew wider, as she realized that there may indeed be hope for her friend’s crush not being one sided.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anth gets a B and Skadi goes to Homecoming with her friends.

Chapter 6

 

Anthelios sat at his desk, leg bouncing as he waited with bated breath for his chemistry teacher to pass back the second test of the year. This was the moment of reckoning – if he didn’t pass this test, he’d be taken off the team. The teacher came by his desk, and handed back the paper with a smile. “Good job, Anthelios! I can tell you’ve been working hard,” she said.

            Anth turned the paper over and saw the grade – a B! He broke out into a wide grin, and as soon as the bell rang, he practically ran to Skadi’s locker. Skadi was tossing a few books in when Anth slid to a halt in front of her. He had the biggest grin on his face, and waved the test in front of her. “I got a B!” he exclaimed.

            Skadi grinned as well, caught up in his happiness. His whole being was alight with joy, and it was more than a little infectious. She found her gaze lingering on his face longer than usual. “Well, good job Anth!” she said. “I’m proud of you. It was as much you who got that B as me.”

            Anth suddenly wrapped his arms around Skadi, giving her a big hug and half lifting her off the ground. Her eyes widened, but she returned the hug, smiling broadly. “Easy there, football boy,” she drawled.

            The boy looked down, blushing slightly. “Sorry, I’m just so happy!”

            Skadi gave a wry smile, brushing her hair out of her face, a faint blush on her cheeks. “I can tell,” she said softly, enjoying the wide smile that just lit up his whole face. “I think we should celebrate,” she said suddenly. “How about ice cream, after school today? I’ll buy.”

            “Really?” Anth raised his brows in slight shock.

            Skadi leaned against the locker, trying to play it cool when really she was just excited that he said yes. “Yeah, really. You did well, Anth. I’m proud of you.” She reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. “I knew you could do it.”

            He looked down, a faint blush on his cheeks. “That means a lot to me,” he said softly. Their eyes met, faces drawing closer together when suddenly Skadi saw Talani sauntering over. She backed away, giving his shoulder a squeeze before stepping away. “I’ll meet you here after school?” Anth asked.

            Skadi nodded, before glancing over at Talani, who was giving her a nasty glare. “If you don’t end up with other plans,” she said, a hint of bitterness in her voice.

            Anth frowned, glancing over at Talani, who came to him and planted a kiss on his cheek, clearly attempting to mark her territory. “So, what did the goth bitch want?” Talani asked.

            Anth frowned at his girlfriend. “Don’t call her that,” he said absently.

            She scoffed, “She’s goth, and a bitch. But what did she want?”

            Anth’s jaw clenched slightly, but he held out his test. “I got a B on my chem test,” he said proudly. “I wanted her to know, since she’s been tutoring me.”

            “Oh. Nice,” she said absently, clearly not caring about Anth’s achievement. He frowned, but walked with her to his next class, though he pulled his phone out of his pocket to send Skadi a text. “Ice cream after school today?”

            Skadi was attempting to avoid thinking about what just happened with Anthelios, when her phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out and read the text from him, unable to help the smile on her face. She replied, “Sure!” before putting her phone back in her pocket.

            Emiryss frowned. “Who was that, your pet jock?”

            Skadi raised a brow, “Yeah, what of it?”

            Her friend sneered, “What does he want?”

            Skadi smiled slightly, “We’re going to be going out for ice cream to celebrate him getting a B on his test.”

            Emiryss narrowed her eyes. “You are going on a date with him?” she growled.

            Skadi’s eyes widened. “A date? No! He has a girlfriend.” Somehow she kept most of the bitterness out of her voice, though her friend’s scowl deepened. “We’re just going as friends, as a celebration of him getting that grade. Hopefully I won’t have to tutor his ass anymore.”

            Emiryss shrugged, saying neutrally, “Won’t that be nice?” She watched her friend’s face carefully, and could have sworn she saw a bit of sadness cross her features. Emiryss’s jaw tightened, but she said nothing, stalking off to her next class.

            Skadi met Anth outside of school, and they walked to his car. Skadi asked absently, “What’s Talani up to this evening?”

            Anth shrugged. “She had plans with her girlfriends,” he responded.

            Skadi looked at him through the fall of her dark hair. “I’m sorry,” she said softly. “Talani has never been the most… sympathetic of people.” When they were seated in the car, she asked, “Is everything alright?”

            Anth shrugged again. He selected music, and soon the sounds of Nightwish’s “Dark Passion Play” filled the car. The football player absently hummed along, but Skadi couldn’t help singing to the music. Anthelios looked at her, shocked. “You can sing?” he asked.

            Skadi blushed, looking down. “Apparently,” she said with a wry smile.

            He kept his eyes on the road, but said softly, “You have a nice voice.” They pulled in to the ice cream parlor, and the two got out.

            “Order anything you want,” Skadi said, smiling at Anthelios. They placed their orders, and both sat down at one of the booths with ice cream sundaes. After a few bites, Skadi stared Anth down with her cool blue gaze. “Alright Anthelios, something is wrong. Talk to me. I know Talani is thick as a board, and the most self-centered person I have come across, so I have a feeling you haven’t been able to get whatever’s bothering you off your chest.”

            Anth looked up at her, meeting her gaze and seeing no judgement there. He placed down his spoon and put his head in his hands. “My grandfather isn’t doing well,” he said softly. “He… he’s the reason I got into football, and I hoped that he was going to be able to see me play on the varsity team, but it’s not looking like it’s going to happen.” His eyes watered, and he swiftly wiped away a tear that dripped down his scarred cheek.

            Skadi’s eyes widened, and she reached across the table to take his hand. “Oh Anth, I’m so sorry,” she said, squeezing his hand gently.

            He smiled up at her, slowly shifting his hand to hold hers. “Thanks,” he said, voice rough with the attempt to not break down. “Only a few people know. Darion, the team captain, he knows.”

            “Does Talani?” Skadi asked, looking down with an odd expression as he continued to hold her hand.

            He shrugged. “She does, but she doesn’t seem to care…” He sighed deeply. “I am finding that I’m not happy with our relationship.” He grimaced. “Everything you’ve said about her is right.” He bowed his head. “But I’m not… right now I don’t think I can deal with any more emotional bullshit, and I have a feeling that if I break up with her she’ll make one helluva stink.”

            She patted his hand gently. “Oh, I’m sure she will,” she said sympathetically.

            Anth sighed again, toying with his ice cream. “Well, I did promise her I’d take her to homecoming, so I have to suck it up until then,” he said, forcing cheer. Suddenly, he gave a slight grin. “So… any of your friends going to the dance?”

            Skadi rolled her eyes. “Emiryss found a way out. Amp and Alex are of course going. As for me, I’m going with Velithar. He wants to go so badly, but he doesn’t have anyone to go with, so I said we could go together, as friends.”

            Anth smiled. “Nice.” Suddenly, his smile became a bit more wicked. “So… will you be in a dress? Honestly, I think my brain is melting at the thought,” he said, voice teasing.

            Skadi stuck her tongue out at him and said challengingly, “So what if I am?” He snickered, and the mood lightened as they finished their ice cream.

            When Anth pulled up at Skadi’s driveway, she paused before she left the car. “Hey, Anth,” she said tentatively. “If you ever need to talk, or just want to hang out, let me know.”

He smiled at her, eyes lighting up, and reached out to take her hand for a moment. “Thanks,” he said. “You’re a good friend.” She blushed at the compliment and turned to go inside, but as she opened her door, she turned to see give him one last smile before she disappeared into her house. Anth sighed deeply, wondering what the hell he was going to do.

 

Homecoming night – Skadi, Velithar, Amphithere, and Alex walked into the gym. Amp and Alex were holding hands, per usual, and it became apparent the two were going to be off in their own little world, like they had at every other school dance they had been to since middle school. Skadi sighed, and offered Velithar her arm. “Shall we?” Her friend grinned, allowing her to escort him into the gym. Skadi had never understood why Vel liked going to dances. She always found them tedious, awkward, and fake. And yet, when her friend had asked her with his puppy dog eyes to go with her, she couldn’t say no. So here she was, wearing a dress. “Take a picture, this only happens once a year,” she grumbled.

            “Hmm?” Velithar was craning his head around.

            “I’m in a dress,” Skadi grumbled. “Take a picture, this won’t happen again.”

            “Oh,” her friend chuckled. “I wonder if Zenn is here…” He looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of the other boy. Skadi sighed and grabbed Velithar’s arm, pointing out Zenn. The Frisbee player was looking fairly dashing in black dress pants, a white shirt, and golden tie. Velithar looked down. “I hope I look ok…” he said uncertainly.

            Skadi pat her friend on the shoulder. “You look great,” she said with a smile. And he did look good. He had on black dress pants, a white dress shirt, and a rather adorable green vest with a matching tie. “Absolutely adorable,” she teased. Velithar blushed. She put her hands on his shoulders and gently pushed him towards Zenn. “He looks alone at the snack bar. You should go talk to him,” she said gently with a slightly wicked smile.

            Velithar’s eyes widened. “No… I couldn’t,” he stammered.

            Skadi met his eyes. “Go. Take a chance. You know he likes you as a friend at least, just go talk to him!” Velithar took a deep breath, straightened his vest, and walked towards Zenn. The other boy grinned broadly when Velithar spoke to him, and he gave Velithar a hug. Skadi noticed that her friend’s tension seemed to fade somewhat, and she smiled, slowly drifting to the back of the gym, watching everything around her.

            Skadi idly wondered what Anthelios was wearing, and she looked around for the football player. She saw him with his girlfriend, who had an arm possessively around his waist. The two of them matched in a way that made Skadi certain that Talani had dressed him up to make her look good. Talani was in a red and gold dress, one that hugged her figure. Anthelios was in dress pants with a red vest and golden tie. Skadi’s eyes lingered on him, as the colors looked good on him, the gold making his light brown eyes pop, the shirt and vest hugging his athletic body. She sighed deeply, tearing her eyes away from them. “He’s in the harpy’s claws,” she muttered. The music started, and Skadi saw many of the couples dancing. Velithar drifted up, a smile on his face, though he seemed tense.

            “What’s up?” Skadi asked.

            Velithar looked down, “I… I want to ask Zenn to dance with me. But I’m not sure he would.”

            Skadi raised a brow, and said softly, “You should.” She pointed up Alex and Amp, who were dancing in a small circle with some of the people Alex knew from choir and drama. The circle included people who were obviously not going as a couple. “See them? Go join them, and bring Zenn. You won’t look awkward, dancing with a guy if you join them.”

            Velithar looked up at his friend. “Really?”

            She smiled. “Yeah, really.” She squeezed her friend’s shoulder. “Sometimes… sometimes we have to take risks. I think this is a good one.”

            Velithar looked at Skadi. “Will you join us?”

            Skadi snickered, “Me, dance? In what universe?” Velithar giggled as she gently pushed him towards Zenn again. Skadi watched her friend tap Zenn’s shoulder, and as Velithar caught Alex’s eye, the blond boy swiftly welcomed the two other boys into their dancing circle. She gave a wide grin, taking a deep breath of her own. It was time to take her own risk and talk to Anthelios, if she could catch him without the harpy’s claws dug into him.

            Anthelios managed to finally break away from Talani for a moment, saying he needed to go get a drink. She absently waved him off, continuing to talk to her girlfriends. Anth went over to the refreshment table, grabbed a cup of punch, and went to one of the chairs placed at the edge of the gym. He sat down, running a hand through his hair, messing up his carefully styled look.

            “Everything ok?” he heard a familiar voice ask. He looked up to see Skadi, and she looked gorgeous. The girl was wearing an almost floor-length royal blue dress, one that flared at her hips into a full skirt. The bodice had a few sequins and other sparkles sewn into it. Her hair was loose, and her eyeshadow was a rich blue, not the usual black. She wore wide leather bracelets with silver vines etched into them around her wrists. His breath caught in his throat, as she sat down beside him, and his lips curled in a small smile as he saw that she was ever practical, wearing flats instead of the more common heels many of her peers were wearing.

            “Anth?” she asked, titling her head to look at him. “Are you alright?”  
            He shook his head, sighing deeply. “Not really. My grandpa’s not doing well at all, and well, Talani is insisting that I be her personal bauble, and I’m just really not in the mood tonight…”

            Skadi placed a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry to hear that.” She gave a wicked grin. “Want me to find a way to distract Talani so you can escape?”

            He chuckled, “Thanks, but no. I don’t want you to get into any more trouble with her and her crowd.”

            Skadi raised a brow, “What, you don’t think I can handle myself?”

            He lifted a brow in response, mirroring her expression, “Oh, I know you can. It’s everyone else’s survival I’m worried about.”

            She snickered, before her expression became serious. “Well, I am sorry to hear about your grandfather. If you need me, I’m here.” She saw Talani approach and grimaced. “I should go. Your date approaches, and she doesn’t look pleased.”

            Talani glared at Skadi and snapped at Anth, “What are you doing? We need to be out there, where everyone can see us!”

            Skadi’s eyes narrowed to cold slits at her tone, and her fists clenched, but she restrained herself, backing away, going to join Velithar, Amphithere, Alex, and Zenn. Anthelios looked up at Talani as the cheerleader hissed, “And what was SHE doing?”

            Anth sighed, “She was just talking to me, seeing if I was doing alright. That’s not a crime.”

            “And why wouldn’t you be alright?” Talani asked, hands on her hips.

            Anth stood, frowning. “I told you why: my grandfather is in the hospital and they aren’t sure he’s going to make the night…”

            She tossed her hair, and said, “Well, then come with me and dance.”

            He shook his head. “Talani, I think I’d like to go home,” he said softly.

            “No!” she snapped. “I need you here, with me.” She pouted. “You promised.”

            He sighed deeply, and stood, following her to the dance floor. Dancing did not distract him, especially the type of dance Talani favored, the kind that seemed like it was a prelude to some mating ritual.  In the middle of a slower dance, he felt his pocket buzz as his phone rang. “Sorry, I gotta take this,” he said to Talani before he ducked outside the gym. He answered it, and as he heard his dad’s voice, his heart dropped. He hung up and sank to the floor, his head in his hands, sobs wracking his body.

            Skadi found him there, and she immediately was at his side. “Anth? Oh god… I’m so sorry.” She wrapped her arms around him, not even thinking about what anyone would say if they saw them. Anthelios leaned into her embrace, sobbing into her shoulder. She rested her head against his, not saying anything, simply letting her friend process his grief.

            Talani found them there, and as soon as she saw Skadi with her arms around Anth, she let out a screech, “What are you doing, you slut? He is MINE!” Anth looked up, his tearstained face unable to even compute.

            Skadi stood slowly, drawing herself up to her full height, looking down at the cheerleader. “Listen here, you bitch,” she hissed, her voice incredibly cold, blue eyes blazing. “Anthelios just found out his grandfather passed away. And you come here, wanting to make a scene? What kind of girlfriend ARE you? Show some decency, for god’s sake! He didn’t want to come to this stupid dance, he wanted to be with his family, but you INSISTED that he show up, and why, so he can look pretty on your arm?”

            Talani’s face paled. “How… how dare you talk to me?” She took a step back, eyes wide.

            Skadi took a step forward, hissing, “Unlike you, I actually give a damn about Anthelios as a person, not just as a member of the football team.” By this point, a crowd had gathered. Velithar stood by Zenn, his eyes wide as he saw how close Skadi was to losing control. He grabbed Alex, whispering something.

            The other boy nodded, and he went over to Anthelios, whispering in his ear, “Hey, how about we get you out of here. Anyone with eyes can tell that you want to go home.” Anth nodded, numb. He glanced at Skadi and Talani, and he half opened his mouth as if to say something. Alex shook his head, “Believe me, it’ll be better if you stay out of this. Come on, I’ll give you a ride home.” Anth nodded, and as they stood, he saw Talani’s hand whip out as she slapped Skadi on the face.

            Skadi’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Get. Out. NOW,” she said, voice dangerous, her body trembling with barely contained rage.

Talani’s eyes widened, and she stormed back into the gym, muttering, “How DARE they ruin my night!”

            Skadi almost charged after her, but Amphithere and Velithar were at her side, the boy whispering, “Let it go. Deep breaths, like our therapist said. In for seven, hold for 5, out for seven…” Skadi obeyed her friend’s order, breathing deeply, pushing the rage back long enough to exit the school. As soon as they were away from everyone else, Velithar let her go, motioning for Amphithere to go back into the school. “Go on, I’ll make sure she’s ok.” The girl nodded.

            Skadi stood, trembling. The rage wanted out, and it wanted out NOW. She let out a scream, reaching down and wrenching one of the benches out of the ground, throwing it aside. Velithar’s eyes widened, but he waited until Skadi sank to her knees, her head in her hands. He then approached, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Skadi?” he asked, voice cautious.

            She let out a deep breath, placing her hand on top of her friend’s. “I’ll be ok,” she said softly. “I’ve just had a lot going on.”

            Velithar sat beside her. “You want to talk about it?”

            She smiled at him. “It’s ok. I’ll be seeing my therapist this week, I’ll talk to her. Go back to the dance. I’m going to head home.” She grinned weakly, “Enjoy dancing with Zenn. Tell me if anything amusing happens.” Velithar blushed, but smiled. Skadi let out a sigh, and walked home, lost in her own thoughts. When she was almost home, her phone rang. She answered it, and the voice on the other end caused her eyes to widen and she blanched in shock.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aftermath of homecoming. Skadi's troubles reach a height.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: There is some brief self-harm in this chapter.

Chapter 7

 

Skadi was very subdued the days after the homecoming dance. Emiryss and Velithar tried to find out what was going on, but Skadi was reticent, even with them. Anthelios wasn’t at school, as he’d taken several days off to go to his grandfather’s funeral. Skadi sighed, she was hoping to see him, to apologize in person for her actions Homecoming night. She knew she’d lost her temper, and while she had texted him, asking how he was doing, her therapist had suggested a long time ago that apologizing in person was a better way of helping her deal with conflict and interpersonal relations. So, here she was, keeping an eye out for Talani.

            Skadi caught up with her at the end of the day. The cheerleader was alone, for once. The girl sighed, and she called out, “Hey, Talani, do you have a minute? I need to talk to you.”

            Talani grimaced, and turned, tossing her hair. “You have a minute,” she said, rolling her eyes.

            Skadi gritted her teeth, clenching her fists, but she forced herself to speak calmly, “I need to apologize, for what I said at Homecoming. I lost my temper, and I shouldn’t have lashed out at you.”

            Talani scoffed, “Come on now, there’s no reason to pretend. You aren’t sorry for a damned thing you said. I know what you want.” The cheerleader stepped closer to Skadi, her face made ugly by hate. “You want Anthelios. You want to take him and ruin him. I know what you are, you whore,” she spat.

            Skadi backed up, eyes wide. “I… he’s just a friend. That’s all,” she stammered.

            “I know about that other guy you liked,” Talani hissed. “That one… what was his name? It also started with an A I believe…”

            Skadi turned and fled, memories she had done her best to bury coming back. Talani smirked, continuing on her way as if nothing had happened. Once home, Skadi went to her room, and there the rage surfaced. She let out a scream, throwing things and smashing a plate that had been left on her desk to shatter to pieces. She sank onto the floor, sobbing. As she fell into despair, her phone rang. She saw the number and answered it, “I told you I never wanted to have anything to do with you again,” she hissed. “So fuck off.”

            “I need to talk to you, my dear daughter,” a deep voice replied.

            “FUCK YOU!” Skadi screamed, before she threw the phone across the room. She looked at the shattered plate on the floor, absently talking up a piece of it, her fingers running across the sharp edges, mind swirling with dark thoughts. Her phone buzzed across the room, and she glanced at it, seeing a text from Anthelios. She put the plate shard down, and opened her phone to read, “Hey, I’m back in town. Hope you’re doing alright.” She sighed deeply, touched that he cared. She stood, gathering the shards of the plate, and putting everything back in its place, cleaning up the havoc she wrought.

 

That Saturday, the gang plus Anthelios showed up at Skadi’s. She’d been down in the dumps all week, so Velithar suggested that they show up for a movie night in an attempt to cheer her up. He brought Zenn as well, and that alone caused Skadi to smile slightly, though the smile didn’t really reach her eyes. Ami had popcorn and other snacks set out, and she told everyone, “Thanks for coming over. Skadi’s been… a bit out of it, and I think you all could help. I’m going to go run some errands, but if anything happens, give me a call, ok?” She looked at Velithar and Emiryss specifically, and they nodded. Ami swept out of the room, her purse in hand.

            “So, what are we watching?” Anth asked, smiling at Skadi, who gave a slight smile in response, though it was obvious she wasn’t entirely there. He frowned, and whispered to Velithar, “Is she ok?”

            Velithar frowned, murmuring back, “I… I’m not sure.”

            Zenn was looking at the movies, and he said, voice chirpy enough to have Emiryss frowning, “Hey, how about this?” He held up one of the Avengers films.

            Skadi nodded, “Works for me.” Her voice was distant. Her friends sat around the tv, Anth on Skadi’s left, Emiryss on the right. Zenn and Velithar sat on the floor, seemingly quite comfy there, with a bowl of popcorn between them. Anthelios gave a half smile and nudged Skadi when he noticed Velithar resting his head on Zenn’s shoulder. Skadi’s lips twitched in a slight smile, but that was all the response he got. About partway through the movie, Skadi murmured, “I need to go to the bathroom.” Anth scooted aside, letting her past. When she didn’t return after a few minutes, Emiryss frowned. The other girl got up and went looking for her friend.

            Anth heard Skadi’s voice faintly, and she seemed distressed, so he stood and slowly wandered towards the bathroom. On the way, he ran into Emiryss. Her face was drawn, and she said, “Oh thank god. I need your help.” She half ran to the bathroom, and said, “Skadi, open the door or I’ll bust the dammed thing down.”

            “Go away.” Skadi’s voice was tight.

            Emiryss looked at Anthelios. “Help me get the door open. I…. I’m afraid she’s doing something very stupid,” she said curtly.

            Anth’s eyes widened, but he nodded, and between the two of them, they kicked the door down. The boy let out a cry when he saw Skadi on the floor, a bloody razor blade in her right hand. There was a small puddle of blood on the floor, and the girl had the razor blade positioned above her left wrist… He didn’t think, he just acted, rushing into the room, grabbing Skadi, yanking the razorblade from her hand. He grabbed a towel, wrapping it around her wrist. “Skadi, don’t you dare do this to me,” he growled. He was faintly aware of Emiryss on the phone, talking to someone, but all he could think about was Skadi. He brushed her hair back from her face, and the last thing she saw before she passed out was his face, filled with concern.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skadi returns to school and Anth makes a confession. Velithar confesses some relationship troubles and his friends help him out.

Chapter 8

 

Anthelios spent the entire week Skadi was out of school on pins and needles. While he had gotten to speak to her on the phone briefly, he was worried sick. Ami and Skadi’s friends sort of kept him in the loop, but he had so many questions. While talking to her before the incident, he had gotten the impression that she was troubled, but what had happened? “Why didn’t I notice something was wrong?” he muttered to himself. “How could I miss that?” He kept replaying the days before the incident in his mind, wondering what he could have done differently, and what could have been the trigger to push her over the edge.

            Emiryss approached him as school, looking very uncomfortable. “I need to talk to you,” she barked.

            Anth frowned, “Alright…” He was very confused; she’d never wanted to really talk to him before. Usually she avoided him.

            “Walk with me” she said, her voice clipped. The boy followed, slinging his backpack over his shoulders, his hands in his pockets. The heels of Emiryss’s stiletto boots clicked as she walked with fierce strides along the sidewalk towards the park. She seemed uncertain, which was different, as normally the girl acted as if she always knew what she wanted. Emiryss sighed, running a hand through her green hair. “I’m only doing this for Skadi you know. I don’t trust you, but apparently she does. And she felt you should know.”

            “Know what?” Anthelios asked softly, looking at her out of the corner of his eye.

            “Skadi feels like you should know some of her… stuff,” Emiryss began, still walking. Anth waited patiently. “I’ve been friends with Skadi since before middle school. She’s been through shit. You know she’s in foster care, came from one of those so-called broken homes. Her sperm donor is an abusive piece of shit, and her mother died from an overdose between 6th and 7th grade. Either due to what she’s been through, or maybe just because the universe sucks, Skadi’s been diagnosed with depression, and she has anger management issues.” Anth’s jaw tightened, but he continued to listen. Emiryss glanced at him, and kept going. “Anyway, most of the time, she does alright. Therapy and meds help, but every now and then, something pushes her over the edge. Skadi’s only had a few suicide attempts.” Her jaw tightened. “And I’ve been there for both of them.” Emiryss let out a shaky breath, and Anth placed a hand on her shoulder. She glared at him, green eyes flashing, causing him to swiftly withdraw his hand.

            “I wonder why…” he said softly, looking down.

            “Sometimes there isn’t a trigger, but this time there was,” Emiryss growled. “Apparently her dick of a father was somehow able to get her phone number.”

Anth’s eyes narrowed, flashing dangerously. “What? Is that... is that even legal?”

Emiryss gave a harsh bark of laughter. “I have no idea.” She gave a dark smile. “Ami is on the warpath over it.” She sighed. “Anyway, this time it was that son of a bitch, and your bitch of a cheerleader.”

“Talani?” Anth exclaimed, fists clenched. “That explains why she was acting all superior when I confronted her. And she’s not my bitch of a cheerleader any more. I’m done with her.” He shook his head. “I have no clue what I was thinking. The girl’s a sociopath.”

Emiryss looked at him, raising a brow. “Huh. Maybe Skadi is right, there may be hope for you after all.”

“Emiryss,” Anth said softly. “Thanks. For trusting me.”

She looked at him, and scoffed. “Like I said, I did this for Skadi.” She stopped suddenly, staring him straight in the eye. Her green gaze narrowed, and she said softly, “Skadi is my best friend and I would do anything for her. If you ever hurt her, I will kill you.”

Anthelios met her gaze, the light catching his pale eyes, making them flash gold. “I won’t,” he promised, before giving a wry smile. “And if I do hurt her, I’m sure I’ll deserve any punishment you deem fit.”  
            Her eyes narrowed to slits, and she stared at him for a moment before giving a nod and walking off. “Oh, Skadi’ll be back tomorrow,” she said as an afterthought.

 

Skadi let out a deep breath as she approached the school. Her friends were waiting for her, and she couldn’t help the smile as Velithar practically pounced on her with a hug. “Hey guys,” she said, softly, voice choked with emotion.

            “Welcome back,” Amphithere said with a smile, hugging her as well.

            Skadi looked at her friends, swiftly dashing a tear from her eye. “Thank you all,” she said softly. “If… if it’s alright, can we pretend that everything is normal?”

            Amphithere nodded. “Yeah, we just wanted to give you a hug and let you know we cared first,” she said gently.  Skadi smiled, hugging her friend.

            When Skadi walked to her locker she paused, seeing a familiar figure there. Anthelios was leaning against it, and when he saw her his face broke into a wide grin. “Hey there, good to see you again,” he said, reaching out tentatively to pull her into a hug. She tensed for a moment, but allowed herself to be pulled into his embrace. It felt… right, like coming home. Skadi looked up, tears welling in her eyes as she smiled.

            “It’s good to be back,” she said softly. “Now, if you don’t mind, could you move so I could get to my things? I really don’t want to be late for class. I’ve missed enough school as is.”

            “Oh, I’m sorry,” he said, a faint blush on his cheeks as he stepped aside. “I’ll see you later. Maybe we could get ice cream after school?”

            Skadi’s face broke into a smile. “I’d love to,” she said. “Oh, but I need to make sure I let Ami know. Since… well, she hasn’t let me out of her sight much since I’ve gotten back from the hospital.” She looked down, embarrassed.

            Anth smiled, patting her shoulder. “No problem,” he said reassuringly. “Just let me know if you can, I’ll drive of course.”

            Skadi grinned and as she walked to class, she pulled her phone out, asking Ami if it was ok for her to spend time with a friend after school. She put the phone on vibrate, waiting for a response. When she checked it after class, a text was waiting for you, “Sure. Who?” Skadi sighed and texted back, “Anth”. There was only a minute of waiting before there was a response, “Oh fun fun! Enjoy your date ;)” Skadi shook her head. “Date, my ass,” she muttered. “He’s just a friend.” She pulled out her phone again, this time texting Anth. “Ami said sure. Meet you after school?”

            Anth’s phone buzzed and he pulled it out to see Skadi’s response. The boy gave a wide grin and quickly texted back an affirmative. “What are you all happy about?” one of his teammates asked.

            “Oh, nothing,” Anth responded, putting his phone up. “Just meeting a friend after school.”

            “Mmmhmm,” the other boy responded. “Twenty bucks says it’s that goth chick.” Anth rolled his eyes, not even bothering to respond.

 

Anthelios waited for Skadi at her locker. He smiled when she walked up, tossing some of her books into it. “So, are you doing alright?” he asked softly as they walked to his car.

            She smiled at him. “I am.” She gave a wry smile. “My therapist and the doctors made sure I was stable before they released me back into the wild.”

            Anth was silent for a few moments, but once they were in his car, he asked, “Skadi, I hope I didn’t do anything that triggered your episode. I know Talani had something to do with it, and I’m sorry you were brought into that.” He grimaced. “If it makes you feel any better, you were right about her. She and I broke up the day after the dance.”

            Skadi sighed deeply, gently reaching out to take his hand, though she didn’t look at him when she spoke. “She had something to do with it, yeah, but it wasn’t your fault. When shit hits the fan, I just can’t cope. And when I can’t cope, my brain sends me into a downward spiral. It’s not you.” She looked up at him, gaze pleading. “Please believe me.”

            He smiled at her, squeezing her hand. “I do. I’m just glad I was there…”

            She looked down. “Me too,” she said softly. The girl took a deep breath before unbuckling her seatbelt. “Shall we get some ice cream? A hot fudge sundae sounds wonderful right about now.”

            Anth grinned, and the two of them went into the ice cream parlor. After they got their ice cream, the two teens sat in one of the booths. They talked about school for a few moments, before Anthelios reached out to take Skadi’s hand. He held it for a moment, before saying softly, “Skadi… when I saw you there I just…” He looked up at her, eyes bright. “I was so scared. I know you probably don’t feel the same way but, I like you.” The words tumbled out of him in a rush. “I like you as more than a friend. I think you’re beautiful, and fierce.”

            Skadi looked down, blushing furiously, pulling her hand away. “I’m a mess is what I am,” she said bitterly, merely toying with her ice cream.

            Anthelios reached out for her hand again, but when she pulled away, the sleeve of her shirt slid up, revealing the bandage on her wrist. “See,” she said softly. “I’m broken.”

            “Nonsense,” he said gently, taking her hand. He unwrapped the bandage, seeing the fresh scar, as well as three old ones, usually covered by the wide leather bracelets she wore. He rubbed a thumb over them, saying softly, “I don’t see someone who’s broken. I see a fighter. I see someone who refuses to give up.  Yeah, you’ve been through hell, but you haven’t let it beat you.”

            Skadi swallowed hard, tears in her eyes. She looked at Anthelios, taking his hands in hers. “I… I think I like you too,” she confessed. “But I’m not… I don’t think I’m ready for a relationship.”

            Anth let out a sigh, hurt in his eyes, but he squeezed her hands. “Hey, I understand. You need a bit of time to work on yourself before you can think about being with anyone,” he said, smiling gently. “If you ever change your mind about that, well, I’ll be here. Until then, I’ll be by your side, as a friend.”

            Skadi looked up at him, hope in her blue gaze. She stood, sliding into the bench next to him, wrapping her arms around him, leaning her head on his shoulder. “Thank you, for everything.”

            Anthelios smiled, squeezing her shoulders before letting her go. “I’ll be here for you Skadi, as long as you want to have me around. I know I’m just a jock, but I’m more than willing to be your pet jock.”

            “Good. A part of me has always wanted one,” she replied with a snicker.

 

After their unofficial “date”, Anthelios became a regular part of Skadi’s group. Emiryss grumbled every time he showed up, but after the first few times they all hung out at Skadi’s after school doing homework together, she got over it. Zenn also became part of the group, and Skadi was delighted to see how happy Velithar was around the other boy. Zenn had even convinced Velithar to join the Frisbee team. While Velithar usually ended up on the bench most games, Skadi was happy to see that Zenn always was supportive of her friend. Even so, as weeks went on, Skadi and Anth both noticed a dark cloud begin to billow around Velithar. Skadi was sick of it, so she sat him down one day after school, and confronted him about it. “Alright Vel, what is wrong?” she asked, handing him a muffin to apologize for her somewhat harsh tone.

            Velithar sighed. “It’s Zenn,” he said softly.

            Skadi’s eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms over her chest. Anthelios appeared, sitting next to Skadi on the bench in the park. “You better explain,” he said with a wry smile. “She has that look.”

            Velithar glared at the other boy. “What is this, an intervention?”

            “Bingo,” Anth replied, grinning, while Skadi fixed a cool, blue gaze on Velithar.

            Vel sighed, running a hand through his hair. “So… you know how Zenn and I are sort of a thing?” Skadi and Anth shared a grin. Velithar gave them a slight glare before continuing. “Well… he doesn’t do labels. And I really really want to go on a date with him, but I’m scared… What if people see us? What will they think?”

            Skadi reached over to take her friend’s hand. “They’ll think that you’re lucky to be with someone who makes you happy,” she said gently, before her gaze hardened. “And if they say a single crass word about you, I’ll kick their ass.”

            Anth gave a feral smile, “And I’ll help.” Velithar looked at him with slight shock. Anth smiled at the other boy. “Just ask him Vel. I’m sure he’ll say yes to spending time with you.”

            Velithar sighed. “I’m just… I’m scared,” he said softly.

            Anth and Skadi shared another glance, before Anth suddenly grinned. “Hey, I have an idea!” he exclaimed. “What if we make it a double date? I’ll bring someone, and you bring Zenn. That way, it’ll seem as it’s just a bunch of friends hanging out.”

            Velithar smiled, “You’d do that?” He suddenly gave a sly grin. “Who will you bring as your date?”

            Anthelios chuckled. “Skadi, of course.” She rolled her eyes, but nodded.

            Velithar’s eyes widened. “I KNEW IT!” he crowed. “I knew the two of you had a thing! Ooooh Alex is going to be so happy to know he was right!”

            Skadi sighed deeply. “Velithar,” she growled. “We aren’t a couple. I… I’m not ready for dating. We’re just going together to hang out.”

            Velithar looked at Skadi, brow furrowed before nodding. “Oh, I see. Part of your stuff then?” He smiled, giving Skadi a hug. “Well, one thing for sure, the two of you are the cutest not-couple!” He stood. “So, what should I tell Zenn? That it’s a double date?”

            Skadi grinned. “Yep. How about a movie? You choose and text us the details later.”

            Velithar’s grin widened and he nodded, dashing off.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anth drags Skadi to a party

Chapter 9

 

The double date was a success. Velithar and Zenn enjoyed themselves, as did Skadi and Anthelios. Vel and Zenn had so much fun that they insisted on going out to another movie next week, just the two of them. As the two chattered together, holding hands, Skadi and Anthelios shared a knowing grin, happy that their scheme worked. Even if Zenn and Velithar weren’t officially a couple in school, at least the two of them were a couple on the weekends. Skadi and Anthelios were another couple that wasn’t a couple. Their friends pretty much accepted that they were a thing, though Emiryss constantly made disparaging remarks at their expense whenever she got the chance. Even the football team gave Anthelios a hard time about his goth girlfriend. Anth always rolled his eyes, but when the time came for the annual football team gathering for the end of the season, Anth couldn’t think of anyone else he wanted to bring along as his plus one. The hard part was convincing Skadi to go.

            “You want ME to go to some jock party? Are you insane?” she said, arms crossed over her chest, giving him one of her best glowers. “Do I need to remind you that the biggest bitch of them all will be there, AND that she’s dating the asshole whose nose I broke?” She shook her head. “This is a recipe for disaster.”

            Anth raised a brow. “Oh come on, it won’t be that bad. Some of the other guys like you. I know Darion does,” he said with a slight smile.

            She narrowed her eyes. He pouted slightly, saying, “Please? Don’t make me beg…”

            Skadi couldn’t help the grin that slowly appeared.  “What if I like hearing you grovel?” she whispered in his ear.

            Anth turned his head, looking in her eyes. His breath caught, and they stared at each other with intensity before she broke the moment, taking a step back. “Alright,” she said with a sigh. “I’ll go. But you owe me. Big time.” He grinned triumphantly.

            Anthelios pulled up at Skadi’s house. He went to the door, and knocked. Ami answered, giving him a wicked smile. “Well well, good to see you Anthelios,” she said, eyes dancing. “Skadi, your boyfriend is here!”

            Anth heard Skadi call from her room upstairs, “He’s not my boyfriend, Ami! Yeesh!”

            “Riiight,” Ami drawled, winking at Anth. “You kids have fun.” She tilted her head, looking at Anth with a measuring gaze. “If that cheerleader ex of yours gives Skadi any trouble, send her to me and I’ll set her straight.”

            Anthelios shuddered slightly at the thought. “Oh, if she gives us trouble, we’ll be out of there,” he said.

            “So, shall we get this show on the road?” Skadi grumbled. Anth looked up to see her, and was rather shocked. For once, she wasn’t in her usual goth regalia. She had on dark blue jeans, silver flats, and fairly tight fitting sky blue blouse. Her hair was slightly curled, and she had on blue eyeshadow, and the eyeliner wasn’t thick at all. She had on some sort of lip gloss, and was wearing simple white stud earrings. She still had on the wide leather bracelets. Skadi crossed her arms over her chest, raising a dark brow. “Problem?” she asked.

            Anth shook his head, grinning stupidly. “You look… good,” he said. Ami glanced between the two of them, and snickered.

            Skadi sighed, and motioned for Anth to head out the door. She snickered at him. “You seemed flabbergasted that I own things that aren’t black,” she said.

            Anth chuckled. “Well, I’m so used to you being your usual goth self, so pardon me for being shocked when you dress differently. Not that you look bad in your goth regalia,” he said hastily, glancing over, wincing slightly. He was slightly surprised to see her smiling at him, instead of being mildly annoyed.

            She plopped herself in the passenger side seat, and she quickly put on some Within Temptation. “Well, I figured I might as well try to not terrify your team. Half of them are scared of me enough as is,” she said with a wide grin. Anth rolled his eyes, driving them to Darion’s house. As they pulled into the driveway and Anth parked next to the other cars, Skadi took a deep breath.

            “You ok?” Anth asked, taking her hand. She looked up at him and nodded.

            “Yeah, just never thought I’d be at a party with the football team,” she confessed. Anth gave her a quick, one armed hug. She smiled up at him. “Alright, let’s go. You have a team celebrate with.”

            They walked into Darion’s house, where Anth’s teammates came to welcome him, slapping him on the back. Skadi felt completely out of place, until Darion came up. “Hey Skadi, wasn’t expecting you,” the quarterback said with a smile.

            Skadi gave a wry grin. “Neither was I,” she said uncertainly.

Darion nodded in sympathy. “Well, if I can get you anything, let me know,” he said, smiling.

            Anth squeezed Skadi’s hand before letting it go. “See, I told you Darion likes you,” he said softly. Skadi smiled up at him. The two of them drifted around the party for a while. Skadi grazed at the snack table, mostly to give herself something to do. While Anth was constantly by her side, and he did everything he could to help, she still felt a bit awkward among all the people whose main subject of conversation was a sport she knew nothing about. Anth ended up in an animated conversation with a couple of his teammates, so she drifted away for a few moments. Suddenly, she saw someone she had hoped to avoid – Talani. And she was with the linebacker whose nose Skadi broke.

            “Well well well, if it isn’t the crazy goth slut,” Talani hissed. The linebacker stood beside her, an ugly grin on his face. Skadi felt herself tense, and she wrapped her arms around herself. Before anything happened however, someone else stepped in.

            “Harry, Talani, knock it off,” Darion said. Skadi’s head whirled his way so fast she almost got whiplash. As Talani opened her mouth to say something, Darion stepped closer. “I mean it. If you start something, I will kick you out of my house.” The cheerleader sniffed, and walked off, dragging her boyfriend with her.

            Darion shook his head. “I’m sorry about them,” he said apologetically.

            Skadi smiled slightly. “It’s ok,” she said. “Some people just can’t help being assholes.”

            “That’s the truth,” the quarterback grumbled.

            Skadi smiled. “I’m going to step outside for some air,” she told him. “Let Anth know, in case gets worried about me being off leash.”

            Darion chuckled as Skadi ended up on the deck, staring up at the stars. The quarterback went back to the party. Anthelios saw him, and frowned. “Where’s Skadi?” he asked.

            “She’s outside,” Darion replied. “She ran into Talani.”

            “Oh shit…” Anth’s eyes widened. “What did she do?”

            Darion chuckled. “Nothing,” he said with a grin. “I told Talani and Harry to knock it off, and your girl stepped outside for some air. I’m sure she just needed a minute away from all this.” Darion peered at Anth, smiling slightly. “Ok Anth, be honest with me, are you and Skadi a thing?”

            Anthelios looked down, blushing faintly. “Not officially, but sort of? It’s complicated.”

            Darion raised his brows. “I’m sure it is. I approve, by the way.”

            Anth’s eyes widened. “What?”

            “I like her,” his friend said. “Skadi’s different, but that’s not a bad thing. I can tell she cares about you, and you care about her. I’ve never had anything against her, and…” his voice lowered. “To be honest, I was glad when she decked Harry. He had it coming. If she hadn’t beaten me to it, chances were I’d have smacked him upside the head.”

            Anth gaped. “What?”

            Darion shrugged. “He’s a bully. And I don’t like having bullies on my team.” He slapped Anth’s shoulder. “But seriously, I’m cool with you and Skadi. As long as it doesn’t affect your ability to play. You two are practically a couple as is, so just ask her out already.” He winked, and walked off.

            Anthelios stood there, blinking for a moment. As he processed Darion’s words, he smiled. It was good to know that he had other people besides Skadi’s crowd on his side. Now, if only he could get Skadi to admit that was indeed something between them.

            Skadi stood on the deck, enjoying the cool evening air. She heard the door open, and glanced back to see Anth stepping outside as well. “Everything ok?” he asked.

            She smiled, touched by his concern. “Yeah, it is. I just wanted a break from being social,” she said. “Too many people in such a small space…” The girl shuddered slightly. “I just needed a break. But I’m fine, honestly.” She looked over at him, smiling as he stood beside her. Skadi watched him from the corner of her eye as the boy leaned on the balcony, staring out into the night. Impulsively, she scooted closer to him, and wrapped an arm around his waist, leaning against him. The motion felt natural, as did his response – pulling her close, and resting his head against hers. The two of them stood together, neither one brave enough to bring up the obvious elephant in the room.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skadi comes to Anth for help, and he's there for her (of course)

 

Chapter 10

 

It was the last week of the football season. Anthelios was at practice, joking around with his teammates, when something made him glance up at the bleachers. Skadi was there, and he could tell by the way she carried herself that something was very wrong. He signaled Darion, calling for a brief break. Darion nodded, and the offensive line paused for a water break. The quarterback murmured to Anth as he walked by, “Everything ok? She’s never shown up to practice  before…”  
            Anth replied, “I’m not sure, but I’ll find out.” Darion clapped a hand on the other boy’s shoulder. Anthelios tossed his helmet on the ground and leapt over the railing to the bleachers. He took the steps two at a time, and was gasping by the time he made it to Skadi. She looked at him, her expression blank.

            Anth reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Skadi? Are you alright?” he asked, voice and face full of concern.

            She shook her head, her voice hollow. “My brain is kicking my ass,” she said. “I… I don’t think I should be alone right now.”

            Anth’s eyes widened, and he squeezed her shoulder. “Alright. Do I need to call Ami?”

            Skadi shook her head again. “No,” she said. “Ami’s at a business meeting, and it’s an important one.” She reached out, taking his hand. “Could… could you stay with me?” There was hope in her eyes, and also fear of rejection.

            He squeezed her hand, smiling reassuringly. “Of course, Skadi.” He glanced at his watch, chewing his lower lip as he thought. “Practice gets out in 20 minutes. Will you be ok, sitting here till then?”

            She gave a slight smile. “Yeah, I should be.” As Anth stood up, she reached out, hugging him around his waist for a moment before letting go. The boy smiled at her, reaching down to lightly brush her cheek with his hand before trotting back down to the rest of the team. As soon as practice was over, he dashed to the locker room, showering as fast as possible. He stepped out to see Skadi waiting.

            “You’re dripping,” she said, raising a brow.

            “Sorry, you said you shouldn’t be alone,” he said softly, looking down.

            She gave a wry smile, “I’m not going to do anything stupid in the 20 minutes it would take you to be washed and dried,” she said. “I’ve made it through the day.”

            He shrugged, tossing his bag over his shoulder as he pulled out his phone. “So, we gonna go your place?” he asked. “I need to text my mom so she knows where I am.”

            Skadi nodded. “Yeah, works for me.”

            They headed to Anth’s car. Skadi immediately picked up his ipod and blasted Epica’s “Unleashed”. She closed her eyes as Anthelios drove, head nodding in time to the music. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, before asking, “Is… is there anything that triggered this?”

            Skadi shook her head, sighing deeply, rubbing her temples. “Just a bad brain day,” she said softly. Anth impulsively took her hand again, his thumb rubbing the back of her hand. Skadi squeezed his hand before letting go as they parked in front of her house. Skadi threw her stuff down and said, “I’m going to go and change into my pjs. If you’re hungry, there’s some leftover pizza in the fridge.”

            He nodded, going to the kitchen and putting a few pieces in the microwave. Though she didn’t say anything about herself, he started some water for tea for her. The boy listened intently, his nerves on edge. He heard footsteps on the stairs and he let out a sigh, turning to see Skadi walking towards him. She was wearing an oversized t shirt and sweats, and for once was totally devoid of any makeup. Her face was drawn, and she looked both incredibly vulnerable and beautiful. He smiled at her as she flopped down on the couch, curling up in the corner, next to one of the armrests. Anth brought her a cup of tea. “I remember you saying tea helped when you were having a blah day,” he said softly. Skadi’s eyes widened and she gave a genuine smile.

            “Thanks,” she said softly, taking the hot cup of tea from him. He sat next to her on the couch, placing the pizza on the table.

            “So, shall we put something on?” he asked.

            Skadi shrugged. “Anything you want.”

He nodded and stood, looking through the movies. He gave a grin and held up Tarzan. “How do you feel about Disney movies?” he asked.

She couldn’t help being shocked. “Disney movies? I didn’t think you liked that sort of thing,” she said.

Anth grinned. “I’m full of surprises. I like musicals and Disney movies are pretty much musicals.”

Skadi shrugged. “I honestly don’t care what you throw on,” she said softly. Anthelios got the movie set up, and sat beside her on the couch. As the movie went on, he watched her from the corner of his eye. During one of the songs, he noticed that she had curled up, and was clearly trying to hold back sobs.

“Hey, it’s ok,” he said softly, wrapping his arms around her, gently pulling her close. She didn’t resist, and he held her against him. She rested her cheek on his chest, and as he rubbed her back, she let herself cry. “Shhhhh,” Anth murmured. “It’s ok. I’m here.” She clung to him until she cried herself out.

Skadi sat up, wiping her eyes, and said softly, “Oh god, I’m sorry Anth.” She pulled away from him, head in her hands. “I’m a mess…”

He reached over, placing a hand on her shoulder. “I’m here for you, Skadi,” he said softly. “I don’t care how much of a mess you are.” His voice caught and he swallowed hard before continuing. “You know I like you. The good, the bad, I’m here as long as you want me to be.”

Skadi looked at him, blue eyes meeting pale brown. Their faces drew closer, and she found her heart pounding in her chest. Before anything could happen, she looked away, leaning into him again. “Thank you,” she said softly. “For everything.” 

He wrapped an arm around her, resting his head against hers. “It’s no problem, really,” he said with a smile.

Skadi yawned, and cuddled closer, using his chest as a pillow. Anthelios knew he had an incredibly stupid grin on his face, but he couldn’t help it. He’d wanted to cuddle on the couch with Skadi for ages now, and while these certainly weren’t the best circumstances, he’d take what he could get. The girl drifted off to sleep, and while Anthelios was determined to stay awake until Ami got home, he ended up falling asleep as well.

Ami walked in the door to find the tv on, and the two teens cuddled together on the couch, where they’d fallen asleep. She gave a big smirk, muttering, “Bout damned time.” As she shut the door, Anth jerked awake. Skadi was still asleep, and he gently shifted her so she was lying against the arm of the couch. He stood, looking at Ami defiantly.

She motioned for him to follow her to the kitchen. She put her hands on her hips, grinning. “I didn’t know this was a date night,” she said, tone amused.

Anthelios sighed, running his hands through his already mussed up hair. “It wasn’t. Not really. Skadi was having a rough evening, and she didn’t want to bother you. She came to me, asking if I’d hang out with her,” he explained. “She didn’t want to be alone.”

Ami sighed, “Oh Skadi…” She shook her head. “I thought I told her that she could talk to me any time, and it wasn’t a bother. The girl has always had a bit of a martyrdom complex.” The woman looked at Anthelios, taking his hand in hers. “Thank you for being there for her.” She gave a grin, eyes dancing. “You like her, don’t you? I know she likes you, even if she’s too stubborn to admit it.”

The boy blushed, nodding. Ami cackled, and said, “It’s late. You can spend the night here if you want. I can get the spare bedroom set up for you.”

Anth gave a mischievous grin. “If it’s all the same to you, I’ll just sleep on the couch.”

Ami snickered, “Very well. Go ahead and give your parents a call to explain things.” Anth nodded, and after he called his parents, getting a bit of an earful from his mother, he returned to the couch. Skadi woke up long enough to see that he’d shifted positions before going back to using his chest as a pillow. Anthelios smiled, leaning back against the couch cushions, drifting off to sleep with Skadi a comfortable warmth against him.  


End file.
